The use of double metal cyanide catalysts in the preparation of high molecular weight polyols is well-established in the art. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,829,505, assigned to General Tire & Rubber Company, discloses the preparation of high molecular weight diols, triols etc., using these catalysts. The polyols prepared using these catalysts can be fabricated to have a higher molecular weight and a lower amount of end group unsaturation than can be prepared using commonly-used KOH catalysts. The '505 patent discloses that these high molecular weight polyol products are useful in the preparation of nonionic surface active agents, lubricants and coolants, textile sizes, packaging films, as well as in the preparation of solid or flexible polyurethanes by reaction with polyisocyanates.
Typical fast reaction systems for rapidly producing elastomers include spray processing and reaction injection molding. Spray processing is suitably effected by impingment mixing using high pressure, multi-component spray equipment. High pressure proportioning units, coupled with spray or pour guns, are suitably used to produce, for example, spray polyurea elastomers using such high pressure, impingement mixing systems which are commercially available from Gusmer Corporation.
Reaction Injection Molding (RIM) is a well-established technique for producing polyurethanes and polyureas in a process having a very fast cycle time. RIM is suitable for use in the production of a wide variety of elastomers, most notably for automotive components such as automobile components, as generally disclosed, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 4,218,543. The '543 patent teaches that the use of a select class of amine extenders provides an excellent combination of rapid reactivity, rapid gellation of the product mixture in the mold, and excellent physical properties of the molded product. The polyols described as being useful in the '543 patent are preferably "classical polyether polyols of polyurethane chemistry".
Heretofore, RIM has not been utilized for the production of polyurethane-polyureas or polyureas using polyols prepared using double metal cyanide catalysts to the knowledge of the present inventors.